Shoppers at Long Island's Smith Havel Mall were evacuated on Monday afternoon after dozens of roof leaks were detected inside the stores, police said.
Large water leaks came from the "lifestyle" location of the mall, former location of a Sterns department store, at approximately 4 p.m. and affected nearly 25 stores, Newsday reported.
The leaks came soon after a rainstorm washed on several feet of snow, prompting fire and police officers to clear the mall before the roof could collapse, according to The Associated Press.
Easter Suffolk County was heavily hit from Winter Storm Nemo last weekend. Smithtown was piled with more than two feet of snow, but as a result of the snow drifts they actually accumulated three feet, one of the highest in the region.
In the mall, one part of the roof accumulated up to 7 feet in snow drifts, which made it especially dangerous for shoppers to remain inside the mall.
The emergency call for a major leak was made around 3:30 p.m. to Suffolk County police and 15 police and fire departments arrived at the scene. The evacuation lasted an hour and no injuries or structural damages were reported.
The Smith Haven Mall is one of the biggest on Long Island, containing more than 140 stores and restaurants.
In an interview with the AP, Smithtown Building Department Director John Bongino said one store appeared "almost as if there was an open ceiling and it was raining."
A stringent reevaluation with the help of structural engineers in conjunction with the building department will be underway, according to Bongino. It's unclear at this time when the mall would reopen to the public.
On a separate incident in the Rockaways,The Rockaway Townsquare mall was also evacuated on Sunday afternoon due to a fire alarm. The alarm was ringing for 10 minutes before the officials prompted shoppers to evacuate. While officers arrived at the scene, the reason for the alarm remains unknown at this time.
